thanks very much for watching. nightly news coming up next. we're back at 6:00. hope you can join us then. breaking news tonight, the record death toll inside the united states. more than 1,000 dead in the last 24 hours the dire warning from the president. >> this will be probably the toughest week between this week and next week. and there will be a lot of death. >> new york with its worst day yet now predicting the peak to come within days as this convention center takes its first covid-19 patient. on the front lines. 1,000 ventilators arriving today in new york, but across the country governors and doctors pleading for more desperately needed supplies as pressure goes on the states holding out from imposing a lock down protecting yourself, the federal government now

recommending americans who live in hotspots to live in face masks. what changed with how you can protect yourself the cruise ship nightmare coming to an end in florida today. the startling announcement from the captain. many more onboard sick where do they go now and there's good news tonight. the moments that unite us the salute to heroes and the cheers for survivors >> announcer: this is nbc "nightly news" with jose diaz-balart. good evening we come on the air tonight with the grim milestone in the last 24 hours more than 1,000 americans have died of the coronavirus. that is the largest daily death toll worldwide since the outbreak began and the projections have those numbers getting even worse. president trump said

today the next two weeks are critical and that he's mobilizing thousands of military personnel to help states, but he also accused many governors of demanding more supplies than they actually need we have coverage from across the country tonight, and we begin with kathy park in the epicenter, new york city >> reporter: tonight new york rushing to mobilize lifesaving resources and health care workers for an unprecedented battle against the coronavirus that's far from over >> we're not yet at the apex we're getting closer we're somewhere in the 7-day range. we're not yet ready for the high point. >> reporter: the epicenter of the nation's outbreak reporting 113,000 cases and at least 3,500 deaths and new york city alone approaching 75,000 cases and long island is catching up. >> long island is the area that is growing >> reporter: after calls for additional personal protective equipment the medical workers

help is coming today the governor is counting on 80,000 volunteers plus 1,000 ventilators arriving from china oregon has committed to sending 140. >> we're all in the same battle here, and the battle is stopping the spread of the virus. >> reporter: on the federal level, president trump announcing today 1,000 military members are deploying to new york city. medical support of the usns comfort is expanding with pier side screening where patients will no longer require a negative test. the javits center turned temporary hospital now updating its original plan, now treating covid-19 patients. the first patient arrived last night. this week the new york city mayor promoted a national enlistment effort for medical staff. >> then i can see us getting these numbers to actually align in realtime. and again when our process is over moving those folks onto where they're needed most >> reporter: meanwhile

behind the scenes a fight on the front lines offering a troubling glimpse of the ongoing crisis >> they look fine sometimes but then you look at their vital signs and they don't look fine. >> reporter: and now the virus tightening its grip on first responders a quarter of first responders are out sick including jones mcwilliams >> it's a completely different animal from what i would think anybody working on the job now -- i don't think this level has been experienced in my -- in my lifetime. >> kathy joins us now. kathy, how much help does new york city still need >> reporter: well, jose, mayor bill de blasio says the city still needs an extra 45,000 medical workers to get them through april and may. so if you can help you're encouraged to sign-up. jose

>> kathy park in new york city. thank you very much. as the virus spreads there is growing frustration in some states as they struggle to find the supplies they need many think the federal government is just not doing enough erin mclaughlin has the latest >> reporter: tonight as the covid-19 surpasses 188,000 -- testing troubles persists >> tests are very difficult to come by and there's no federal plan for this. >> reporter: and soursing personal protective equipment is still problematic. >> we try to buy it's really hard the federal government buys most all of it. >> we've gotten just 33% of what we asked for, and they told us not to expect more anytime soon this pandemic is a war, and we need the armor to fight it >> reporter: this as the coronavirus continues to spread across the country including at sea onboard the uss theodore

roosevelt. in the past 24 hours the number of confirmed cases jumped to 1535 this after its captain was relieved of duty for sounding the alarm. now hot spots like new jersey, louisiana and michigan now seeing a tidal wave of covid-19 >> it's like standing on a beach and watching a tsunami come in. so i think it's only going to get worse and we're anticipating really rough in the next two months >> reporter: alabama issuing a stay at home order with only 7 states yet to issue statewide mandates including iowa where governor kim reynolds is holding out despite a unanimous vote from her own medical board for urgent action. >> now is the time for more urgent action. what we don't want to do is wait until it's obvious to everybody that we should have had more restrictions in place. >> reporter: another state such as arizona leaving golf courses open for business. for one state desperation leading to innovation. in washington a new way to recycle and sterilize tens of

thousands of medical grade masks. >> their supply chain is very challenged right now >> reporter: in northern california proof that a statewide mandate and early action is the difference between life and death >> so you think lives have been saved because of the actions of various political leaders? >> there's no question about it in the city of san francisco we have had 8 people die. if we had followed the trajectory that they're seeing in new york or new orleans or detroit we would have had hundreds of people die by now >> erin, the president tonight saying it's up to the states to decide whether there's a statewide mandate. >> reporter: that's right, jose. the health officials say the states that choose not to implement those mandates put everyone at risk as infection rates rise so too does the need for ventilators and masks already in

>> erin mclaughlin in los angeles,esent trump had a stark warning that the next two weeks will be the worst yet. he also pushed back on those claims from governors that they're not getting enough supply kelly o'donnell is at the white house tonight. kelly? >> reporter: good evening, jose. tonight amid dire predictions about the expected loss of life over the next week or two, the president used his on camera briefing late today to reason the kind of urgency to open the country and rurp to work that he exhibited before he decided to extend the social distancing guidelines through the end of this month he said difficult decisions will have to be made. and while the states in those hottest spots scramble for supplies and lifesaving equipment, the president stressed the federal government is helping with major resources, but he also criticized governors for what he says were inflated requests for equipment beyond the state's actual needs. >> everybody has proper intentions, but they want to

make sure they're 100% and sometimes when they know they don't need it, they want it anyway >> and tonight president trump has been a cheerleader for potential therapies like trying medications. you've heard him talk about hydroxy chloroquine approved for other illnesses as a possible benefit for controversy patients tonight president trump made a stunning statement he might even take that drug himself though he is not ill though he added he would check with his doctor. jose >> kelly o'donnell, at the white house. thank you. in a major shift the cdc is now recommending people use some kind of cloth mask when they go outside. nbc's margen chesky looks at how the guidelines have changed. >> reporter: tonight with covid-19 cases on the rise the cdc now shifting guidelines calling on everyone to consider covering up. >> the cdc is advising the use of nonmedical cloth face covering as an additional voluntary public health measure

so this is voluntary i don't think i'm going to be doing it >> reporter: the voluntary measure a turn from early march when masks were only recommended for the sick or immuno compromised. >> the average american does not need to go out and buy a mask >> reporter: the new guidance stemming from recent studies showing people without symptoms play a bigger role in spreading covid-19 new york and l.a. the first to issue citywide guidelines last week >> we are afraid for our patients >> reporter: with doctors still fighting to find medical grade n-95 masks, officials are urging people to use nonsurgical options. if you can't buy a mask of your own the cdc says something as simple as a t-shirt or bandanna can still work then slip a rubber band around each end, fold again and you're set. even if you don't have any symptoms, wearing this can keep others say nationwide the homemade mask effort has already taken off. in north carolina police are putting their sewing skills to the test to make sure officers are safer when on patrol

>> we should be, first of all, staying at home and practicing social distancing. and on top of that if you need to leave, you absolutely should wear a non-medical grade mask >> reporter: the newest step of many in the fight against an invisible enemy. morgan chesky, nbc news >> i want to bring in our medical correspondent on this, dr. john torres. dr. torres, why did the cdc change its guidance on face masks now? >> so, jose, the cdc changed their guidance for a couple of different reasons. one, now we know patients that don't have symptoms or presymptomatic can actually spread it. 25% of the cases come people and the cdc says they can spread it simply from talking. and people aren't necessarily following that 6 foot guideline, which means they're not staying as far enough away so they're saying splarl in areas where there's high concentration of cases or especially when you have to go to the grocery store where you

can't keep that 6 foot distance the masks are important to use you still need to use that 6 foot distance because it's important for all of us to stay safe that way. >> and wash your hands over and over again still ahead tonight the new cruise ship nightmare. two dying onboard, others sick with the coronavirus where do they go now and throughout the program tonight we were going to spotlight the moments that unite us like this standing ovation for health care workers by another set of heroes, members of the new york city fire department

just imagine being trapped for days on a cruise ship as a deadly outbreak of the virus spreads. the latest nightmare was on a ship that finally docked today in miami with two dead and at least 11 others with covid-19 symptoms nbc's sam brock is there tonight. >> reporter: tonight news of another tragedy striking at sea. >> two of our guests passed away last evening >> reporter: that recording comes from peter and grace, two of the 1,900 onboard their son paul telling us he learned his dad tested positive for covid-19 and didn't know for weeks when his parents would make it to port. >> they got sick about two weeks ago. they were having symptoms of cold, fever, absolute nightmare. >> reporter: this

afternoon that nightmare finally ended when the coral princess pulled into miami with passengers carried out on stretchers the ship's parent company, princess cruises, saying its deeply saddened by the deaths and guests requiring shore side medical care will be prioritized to disembark first two days earlier two holland american ships carrying 1200 passengers four dead and hundreds sick docked miles away those passengers launched on a south american voyage at a time only a handful of coronavirus cases were confirmed on that continent. >> it seemed like the only safe place to actually take a vacation in the whole world. and our own government that day was telling us that it was safe to travel and safe to live your life normally. >> reporter: after 4 weeks of uncertainty the couple reunited with their son thursday night, something paul nomand other princess coral families also want >> sad, angry.

there were times when we were happy to know they were okay on the ship but once we got the positive test result, it's been heart breaking >> sam joins us now from the port of miami. sam, where are the rest of the passengers going >> reporter: yeah, jose, first everybody's got to go through a health screening we just heard some applause behind me as some 60 floridians are being driven home right now. another 330 passengers are going home on domestic flights and about 600 foreign nationals on chartered flights. jose now the financial emergency. and if you're the owner of a small business who needs one of those government loans to stay open, you may already be feeling frustrated by the application process. stephanie ruhle has that story >> reporter: new york city entrepreneur nick ponto thought he found the line he needed but after having issued even applying, he felt devastated >> it felt like the largest bait and switch and we've been a

responsible small business >> reporter: the growing frustration for nick and other small business owners comes during the rollout of the paycheck protection program which is intend today provide an incensive for small businesses to pay their employees during the covid-19 crisis. the federal government has authorized $350 billion in forgivable loans to businesses with fewer than 500 employees and will cover their costs for at least 8 weeks >> i encourage all small businesses that have 500 or fewer people please contact your lenders. you get the money. you'll get it the same day. you use this to pay your workers. please bring your workers back to work. >> reporter: tonight the biggest banks have live applications offering relief to the 35 million small businesses in america. yesterday bank of america received over 85,000 applications for over 22 billion in assistance. that surge causing problems for small business owners like nick. >> the paycheck program that

everyone says is going to help small business, we're being denied and there's no way to access that fund and it's terrifying >> reporter: as of tonight the top three lenders are telling me technical issues are causing a delay in the application process, but all parties are working together to get things moving jose >> stephanie ruhle, thank you very much. coming up the 1 billion vaccine. we'll take you into the effort to battle coronavirus. and this month that unites after a pastor died from coronavirus complications his church choir showed up at his house to comfort his wife with song

and now to the urgent race to the develop a vaccine against the coronavirus. tonight we want to take you inside one major effort to create a vaccine scientists hoping to start production even before it's approved here's anne thompson >> reporter: are its distinctive spikes a key to a vaccine for coronavirus? a joint project by the federal government and johnson & johnson is betting a billion dollars it is >> we've got a candidate that has a high degree of probability of being successful against the covid-19 virus >> reporter: the doctor helped develop the potential vaccine in his boston lab using a disabled common cold virus proven safe on work on vaccines for hiv, aids and ebola scientists insert the coronavirus spikes and then

inject it. >> the spike protein is synthesize asked the body makes an immune response to it, and that is the vaccine. successfully tested on animals human trials will start in september. >> what we need is to make vaccines for a billion people, and we need to make that as quickly as possible. >> the race to create a vaccine took off january 10th when chinese scientists released the virus's genetic sequence a series of letters revealing the blueprint used by researchers all over the world to design more than 50 vaccine candidates >> january 10th, around 11:00 p.m., that's when we started. >> reporter: long before governments a starting paying attention. >> starting next year we'll be able to start delivering from our manufacturing plant. >> reporter: dramatically shrinking development time from 5 to 7 years to just 1225018 months

>> can we trust a vaccine that has been fast tracked in. >> that's the most important question, and i think what's important for people to understand is that we can go fast but we can't cut corners and we're not going to cut corners. we can follow all the guidelines, but by doing them in parallel and not in sequence we can shorten those time lines. >> so the cure is not worse than the illness. anne thompson, nbc news, new york and coming up there's good news tonight the other front line workers, the ones caring for the animals. and this moment that unites us a coronavirus survivor discharged from an austin, texas, hospital and the medical staff who turned out to send her off.

there's good news tonight about another kind of essential worker during these trying times. kristen dahlgren tonight on the people looking after the animals. >> reporter: in what would normally be one of the busiest weeks at missouri's dickerson's zoo. >> as you look around and nobody's here, it's heart breaking >> reporter: nobody here to see the handful of self-less zoo keepers who come every day to make sure the animals get food and critical care >> we're going to get through. it's going to end and we're still going to be here >> reporter: it's the same at the columbus zoo where workers now do their jobs completely isolated, no two

allowed in the same room. >> it means everything to come in and be this team together and really put themselves at risk to come in every day. >> reporter: keepers in hundreds of zoos and aquariums across the country who say there's no other choice >> even in new york where the infection rate continues to skyrocket essential personnel are putting aside their own fears to show us every day at the bronx zoo. >> they are putting themselves in a bit of a vulnerable position, but they have to because they feel that responsibility to the animals. >> reporter: and while americans are being told to socially distance for many animals connection is critical back in missouri the zoo animals now have pen pals. >> it says dear alpacas, i love you so much. >> reporter: the staff can read to the animals the love not lost because of a little social distance >> i wanted to write to the animals to see how their doing. >> reporter: kristen

dahlgren, nbc news, new york >> what extraordinary people that's nbc "nightly news" for this saturday. i'm jose diaz-balart reporting. thank you for the privilege of your time, and please stay safe. good night 6:00, not just a public health crisis. the coronavirus pandemic also causing an economic crisis. the call to help give homeowners a little bit of relief. the news at 6:00 starts right

now. good evening, everyone. thanks for joining us. i'm terry mcsweeney. the spread of this deadly virus is not slowing down. tonight there are more than 3,400 cases here in the bay area, and the virus has made its way to the santa rita jail. alameda county sheriff's office says an inmate has tested positive. jail staff treating the inmate. we're told he's okay. here's a look at the latest numbers across the bay area. santa clara county now has more than 1,100 of those cases. san francisco saw an increase today, jumping to 529. and one more death bringing the total in san francisco to eight. across the bay area, 87 people in total have died. as cases across the state continue to climb, governor newsom says california is taking a new approach to testing. our own marianne favro will have those details in a moment. but right now let's start with sergio quintana in daly city. sergio, a san mateo county supervisor is asking leaders to take action to protect homeowners. >> reporter: yeah. he's actually calling on the